Student success at college is not just achieving high grades The National Forum for Teaching and Learning defines student success as the process by which students fulfil their potential and flourish at college and in society. This is a broader activity than simply achieving high grades. Psychosocial competencies are core to the definition of student success: these are the ‘soft skills’ or ‘non-cognitive skills’ that enable students to cope well with learning challenges, engage deeply in learning, and develop their identities as learners and as active citizens. Transitions are a key issue within this priority area, with transitions such as the move from school to college presenting both challenges and opportunities for students.
About this initiative
The scope of the initiative is to explore and identify approaches that can enhance and extend current approaches to gathering student feedback. This work will complement the use of existing data from the Studentsurvey.ie by developing a policy framework and set of tools and resources for a student feedback ecosystem to include systematic evaluation and dialogue-based student feedback approaches. Using the potential of a new VLE, the initiative will explore and assess the purposes, approach and timing of student feedback instances at identified points of the student learning lifecycle, at module level and at programme level on completion of studies. Specifically:
• To analyse and map current approaches in operation for gathering and analysing student feedback at module level and on completion of studies.
• To benchmark these approaches in light of prevailing and emerging practices nationally and internationally and identify opportunities for enhancement of current practices and/or integration of new approaches.
• To identify in what ways technologies and in particular the Canvas VLE may be most effective for gathering student feedback and enabling data visualisation of outcomes.
• To explore consultative and participative approaches to gathering student feedback which extend and provide deeper exposition of the student voice.
• To provide a student feedback resources bank for staff and students which supports creative feedback approaches and enhanced feedback loops.




